The cancel culture is a phenomenon that does not pass by our world. Bands are quietly removed from streaming services, musicians are simply fired after vague accusations and there are always groups that try to get concerts canceled based on political preferences. Against this background, death metal band Infidel Reich was founded in 2016, with drummer Bob Bagchus, co-founder of Asphyx, as its most prominent member. The band mainly opposed ‘woke’ and pulled the plug in May 2022 after an EP and two albums. Until a message appeared on the band’s Facebook page at the end of the summer: if there was a label that wanted to invest money in it, the gentlemen would like to think about it. Time to ask Bagchus for an explanation.
In 2016 you formed the basis of Infidel Reich together with singer Vincent Crowley (ex-Acheron). How did you find the other band members?
Via a message on Facebook. Later my old buddy Tony Brookhuis (guitarist and the other co-founder of Asphyx -RF.) and Nick Brockman (guitarist, Lugubre, Salacious Gods, ex-Departed Souls -RF.) were added.
So you called the band Infidel Reich. How did you come up with that name?
We wanted a name that would not go down well with many people and would immediately create prejudices. That also happened, so in that respect it was already a success.
The goal of Infidel Reich was clear from the start: to fight woke, cancel culture and political correctness and stand for freedom of expression. Why was that so important?
We have been bothered by this politically correct nonsense for years – also in metal – and that people were increasingly playing it safe for fear of being canceled, of being called a fascist, xenophobic, racist, populist and that kind of antics. As a result, many bands no longer spoke out – which doesn’t really fit with metal music because that always involved pushing against all kinds of things and provoking – for fear of no longer getting interviews or shows. Pretty cowardly behavior. Playing the tough guys but keeping your mouth shut because suppose your shows are on the decline… who cares?
We believe that you should be able to say anything and if you offend in the process then so be it. Not that we consider ourselves so tough, but this is just our point of view. A kind of us-versus-them culture has now emerged. You are either for or against and, strangely enough, this mainly comes from the current left-wing corner that apparently does not tolerate those who think differently. You’re being slaughtered online, but oh well, that’s not very exciting either. If you have the Iron Cross in your logo, you are a Hitler supporter and are no good anymore. Fine. An interesting time, the 1940s. Fascinating.
The debut EP and the first album were released via Helter Skelter, the second via Raw Skull Recordz. Why the switch?
Not special. The communication with Helter Skelter was not particularly brilliant, so Raw Skull Recordz offered a solution.
New World Outrage was released in September 2021, but less than a year later you called it quits. Why?
Well, we made our point and we’re focusing on some other projects. Vincent was working on the Vincent Crowley Band and I was working on Siege of Power. But maybe we will make another album in the future. When it starts to itch again, we’ll see if we can come up with something else.
The members of Infidel Reich have clearly stated that they have no political message and are therefore not ‘right’ or ‘left’, whatever those terms may mean today. Of course, that message didn’t land and you were accused of being far right. How frustrating is that? Or is there some kind of satisfaction for the fact that you demonstrate precisely that many people nowadays only see black or white?
Nowadays it doesn’t mean much anymore. Although, if you say you are “right-wing” then you are a racist fascist, but if you pretend to be “left-wing” then you are okay and you get a pat on the head and maybe even a show at the Goody Two-Shoes club or something.
People know that I am right-wing, or simply realistic, and people can think what they want about it and it does not frustrate me at all that we were or are seen as “extreme right-wing”. I don’t lose any sleep over it and neither do the other boys. It proves once again that people don’t look further than their noses and probably haven’t read the texts either. People see the band name with the Iron Cross in it and without looking into it you get a label. And that was exactly our intention.
How do you feel you have been treated by the metal press? I read somewhere that you are accused of being hateful about the religion of minorities. Were you mistaken or did you expect such reactions?
Oh yes, we expected such reactions and that was certainly the intention. It doesn’t matter. I even think I was personally “canceled” by that German magazine that tries so hard to fit in Deaf Forever, haha! Just too hilarious.
If the metal press wanted to know the ins and outs, they could have asked, but the verdict had already been made, haha! Still, we managed to gather a great following and that’s what matters. People who appreciate it and simply ask about how and what.
What do you think of the fact that, as an artist with an impressive track record, you are suddenly placed on the same level as Nazi bands like Skrewdriver and Brutal Attack, who lyrically and musically don’t even come close to Infidel Reich?
We can only laugh about that, of course. Stupidity apparently knows no bounds. I don’t know Brutal Attack by the way, let’s check it out, haha! But hey, what do you do with such people who just want to label you? It only encourages us to perhaps make another album with Infidel Reich. Even though I happen to be the founder of Asphyx, that will never stop me from saying what I think about certain matters. The same applies to Vincent who also has a long history with Acheron.
How difficult is it for a band to survive in a time when you no longer have to keep local Christian parties at bay but can also simply become a victim of the arbitrariness of commercial companies such as Facebook and Bandcamp?
That is difficult because the cancel culture also uses that misery as if it were a delight and is therefore also part of the Infidel Reich repertoire. Facebook has always limited our messages and YouTube has also removed a certain video from us three times. That was Crush and Destroy. Strangely enough, the first two albums are still on Spotify, by the way. But hey, Infidel Reich is a studio project so we don’t worry about it and we already knew this when we started the band. In fact, that was one of the reasons why we started Infidel Reich.
Yeah, we were just messing around on the band app and then this came up. We had not yet been forgotten. Maybe we’ll make another record when we find a label. There is now some inspiration, but we’ll see. There are other projects and re-releases of the first albums seem to be on the way. We’re in no hurry to move on.
But have you been approached by labels yet? Is Raw Skull Recordz not interested?
Yes, there is a Brazilian label that is quite a fan of Infidel Reich and would like to offer his services. Vincent has good contact with that. Raw Skull Recordz wanted to leave it at this one record because they too had to deal with the cancel culture, unfortunately. All understanding, so we will look further.
Why do you want a label so badly? Why not self-publish a record? Possibly via crowdfunding?
Well, we’ve talked about it before, but we have an easy set-up so a label is more convenient. But even though we are too easy-going, it could possibly be an option. When the time comes, we will first wait for that Brazilian label.
Are there any regrets when it comes to Infidel Reich?
Yes, we should have made the lyrics even more harder.
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